Based on Freida McFadden’s psychological horror novel of the same name, “The Housemaid” tells a dark and twisted story that is sure to leave viewers on the edge of their seats. Released in theaters on Dec. 19, 2025, the film exceeded box office expectations — garnering over $300 million in gross revenue despite a budget of just $35 million.
The film follows Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney), a former convict who, desperate for work, takes a job as a housemaid for the Winchesters, a rich, “picture-perfect” family in New York. But as Calloway settles into her new job, she begins to uncover the dark secrets of the Winchester family and the tortured history of her room in their mansion’s attic.
The film maintains a strong sense of suspense throughout, largely due to stellar performances from its cast. Amanda Seyfried’s performance as Nina Winchester — the explosive, unpredictable and manipulative housewife — especially stands out. As convincingly unreasonable and mean as Seyfried’s Nina is in the first half of the movie, her performance still manages to invoke a sense of pity for her character in the film’s latter half.
Beyond the strength of its cast, the film’s sound design does a lot to keep the tension. Sudden and loud noises throughout the film keep the audience from ever knowing if they can relax. Scenes featuring upbeat music can be interrupted by a crash just as easily as scenes of incredible tension.
Meanwhile, the filmmakers’ visual choices add to the psychological horror of the movie. The camera angles are eerie to the point of feeling intensely watchful, as though the viewer is carefully watching Calloway while she climbs up stairs or leaves the house. Sometimes, the camera angles even give way to mini-jumpscares, such as in one scene where Calloway closes a mirror only to find that someone was behind her the whole time — forcing the audience into Calloway’s uneasy position as a live-in housemaid.
The greatest strength of the film lies in its ability to lightly foreshadow. At the beginning of the movie, small hints like the placement of objects and the camera’s odd concentration on the window at the door to Calloway’s room seem odd. But the movie encourages viewers to pay attention to the small cracks of imperfection in the Winchesters’ facade.
While the movie’s foreshadowing is able to lure in viewers, the film struggles in other aspects. The story fails to emphasize the importance of certain characters like Nina’s husband Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar) and his mother (Elizabeth Perkins), despite their significant influence on the plot. The ending also disappoints viewers, as an absurd convenience shifts the plot in a way that feels out of place and unrealistic.
Despite these small flaws, the movie does a great job shocking its audience for just over two hours. Watching “The Housemaid” feels like piecing together a complicated puzzle, and the film brings all the impact a viewer could want from a horror-infused thriller.
